I can’t let Doug Seserman leave town without a salute.
Three years ago I didn’t know Doug Seserman. Of course, I knew of him from reading the IJN, but I had never met him personally. That changed almost immediately after I relocated back to Denver. Within a couple weeks of my return, the annual conference of Jewish media was held in Washington, DC, in conjunction with the GA. The lobby of the Gaylord Convention Center is where I first met Doug, along with other unfamiliar faces with familiar names, among them current JEWISHcolorado board chair Diana Anderson and then board chair Amy Toltz Miller. They were a friendly and welcoming group.
About six months later I had the honor to join a community delegation to attend the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. Doug, too, was on the trip, and that’s really where I got to know him. Confronting the nadir of history elicits reflection. Doug’s comments throughout were insightful and thoughtful. He drew connections between the testimonies we witnessed to the threats confronting the world today, such as a nuclear Iran.
In the years since I’ve had several such conversations with Doug. He’s someone you can exchange ideas and thoughts with about religion, culture, Jewish identity, family, business. He’s honest and forthright, while being affable and modest — not a typical combination.
Doug, you will be greatly missed. As the adage goes, New York’s gain is Colorado’s loss.
B’hatzlacha!
Shana Goldberg may be reached at [email protected]
